[200q20v] Re: [BIRA] 3pt Seatbelt harness

[Theodore Chen]

--- Ted Fisher <fisherwc at pacbell.net> wrote:
> A five or six point comp system is designed to hold you in the seat no
> matter what happens. It is custom fit to the car and to the driver of
> that car. The belts have a limited range of adjustment once installed.
> The seat is bolted to the floor and to the roll bar or cage. The
> shoulder belts are anchored to a bar that runs behind the seats just
> below shoulder height (again, part of the roll bar or cage) and only
> have a couple inches of play. Lap belts should be bolted to the floor
> with support plates backing them up. Again your only talking an inch or
> two of adjustment.

good points, but there's a middle ground.  i used a six point harness 
with the stock seat for a long time before i finally coughed up for a 
race seat, and even then, i reused the sliders so my seat is still 
adjustable forward and backward.

my six point harness has adjusters in it, and there's a lot more than
one or two inches of adjustment.  there are two places where i can
adjust the length: at the end that's anchored to the car, and near the
latch end.  i set the anchored end as a rough adjustment, and fine tune
with the latch end.  as an instructor, i've had a bunch of people sitting
in the passenger seat, ranging from skinny to fat, from mild to wild, and
the harness accommodates all of them.

it's true, though, that adjusting this harness is much more of a hassle
than the stock belt, and probably more than the schroth (don't most of
them come with retractors?).

> The antisubmarine belt, and there are two kinds here,
> keeps you from sliding under the lap belt in an accident. There is the
> single belt design that comes from the floor and fastens to the lap belt
> or the two piece belt that fastens on each side of the seat, comes
> underneath the thighs and pulls up to attach at the waist. All in all, a
> custom design that is sized for one person and one person only.

they can be routed over the front of the seat.  they don't see that much
stress, as their primary purpose is to keep the lap belt down over your
pelvic bones (ok, ischial tuberosities) rather than snagging you by
the 'nads as most people believe.

> The club systems try to offer the secureness of a full competition
> system while allowing some adaptability among different drivers. Yes,
> they don't hold you as well as a comp system does, especially when you
> blow it, but then again, we are not pushing the envelope quite that far.
> They are a compromise, better than stock, not as good as race. Determine
> your use, set your car up accordingly and go play.
> 
> Ted Fisher
> 
> PS. rule of thumb. Track the car once or twice in it's life, OEM will
> work. Track the car a couple times a year, look for club belts. Planning
> a trip every quarter, with one or two similar drivers, get a five point
> system.

that pretty much sums it up.  whatever you decide to run is up to you.
just make sure you put some skull sweat into it and understand the choice
you're making.  play hard, but play safe.

-teddy


__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Auctions - buy the things you want at great prices
http://auctions.yahoo.com/